WSP Trooper and Citizen Save Driver From Submerged Vehicle

Ellensburg—Washington State Patrol Trooper Jay Farmer, with the help of passing motorist Jim Kocker, swam approximately 50 feet out into a pond to save a trapped driver in a submerged car. The vehicle had left the roadway crashing through a fence coming to rest in the pond with only the roof visible. The driver was unable to exit the vehicle on his own because he was unconscious.

Kocker swam out to the vehicle prior to Trooper Farmer’s arrival but, he was unable to get into the vehicle as the doors were locked and windows up. Kocker felt he had to fight off the onset of Hypothermia prior to going back for a second time with Trooper Farmer to rescue the driver. Trooper Farmer brought his expandable baton to break the window. In a team effort, the pair was able to break a window, make entry into the vehicle and unbuckle the driver. The driver was removed from the vehicle and brought to the shore by Trooper Farmer and Kocker to a waiting ambulance. The driver was transported to Kittitas Valley Healthcare to be evaluated.

Had it not been for the heroic actions of Trooper Farmer and Good Samaritan Jim Kocker, the driver could have surely perished. While many other drivers had stopped, Jim Kocker, a former lifeguard sprung into action prior to the arrival of emergency personnel. Kocker again risked his life, going back for a second time to effect a rescue with Trooper Farmer.

When asked about rescuing the driver, Trooper Farmer stated “Any Trooper would have done the same. It’s what we do.”